Lea Michele ‘Grateful’ For Support, Grieving With Cory Monteith’s Family

After several days of silence, “Glee” star Lea Michele offered a public statement in response to the passing of co-star and boyfriend Cory Monteith. Following (although unrelated to) the release of a coroner’s report on Tuesday (July 16) that revealed Monteith died from a combination of heroin and alcohol, Michele released a statement thanking fans and revealing that she has been spending time with Monteith’s family.

“Lea is deeply grateful for all the love and support she’s received from family, friends, and fans,” said the statement to People. “Since Cory’s passing, Lea has been grieving alongside his family and making appropriate arrangements with them.”

Monteith’s body was found in a Vancouver hotel room over the weekend. Authorities from the BC Coroners Service indicated that all signs indicate that he was a victim of a drug overdose, and there was no foul play. “At this point there is no evidence to suggest Mr. Monteith’s death was anything other than a most-tragic accident,” said the service. A police spokesman added, “There was evidence in the room that was consistent with a drug overdose,” although he declined to reveal what that evidence was.

Although he is probably best known for his work on the upbeat television show “Glee,” Monteith’s private life was considerably darker. The actor began his struggle with narcotics as early as 12 years old, and visited rehabilitation facilities multiple times prior to his death, most recently in April. Michele, his co-star publicly supported him when he re-entered the facility in April, and rejoined his side when he was released.